Lake Houston - Humble - Kingwood Edition | July 2024

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Lake Houston Humble

Kingwood Edition VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3 JULY 24AUG. 21, 2024

2024 Home Edition

Sand Creek Village in Kingwood is just one of the many neighborhoods across the Greater Houston area with downed trees and prolonged power outages as a result of Hurricane Beryl in early July.

KINSEY CRABTREECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Lake Houston area begins recovery after Hurricane Beryl

waited for power to return. Ballesteros was just one of more than 838,200 people in Harris County who were still waiting for power as of July 12. At its peak July 8, about 2.2 million CenterPoint custom- ers in the Houston area were without power.

than the temperature outside. “The rst day was hot, but tolerable,” Ballesteros said in a July 11 Facebook message. “Tuesday morning [July 9], I woke up in a panic from how hot it had gotten in the house.” Worried about her three young children, Ballesteros went to stay with family while they

BY WESLEY GARDNER & EMILY LINCKE

Four days after Hurricane Beryl swept through the Greater Houston area on July 8, Karen Ball- esteros said she and her family were still without power, and the inside of their house—in the Bordersville neighborhood in Humble—felt hotter

CONTINUED ON 19

Also in this issue

Impacts: Swig to bring ‘dirty soda’ to Atascocita (Page 6)

Government: Humble city ocials discuss potential bond (Page 14)

Education: Humble ISD approves 2% raises for sta (Page 16)

Nonprofit: Hope Media Group talks future in New Caney (Page 22)

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LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

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Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity. About Community Impact

Market leaders & metro team

Reporters Jovanna Aguilar Asia Armour Angela Bonilla Melissa Enaje Wesley Gardner Cassandra Jenkins Rachel Leland Emily Lincke Nichaela Shaheen Jessica Shorten Haley Velasco Aubrey Vogel Carson Weaver Graphic Designers Richard Galvan Ellen Jackson Matt Mills

Kinsey Crabtree General Manager kcrabtree@ communityimpact.com

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Impacts

99 TOLL

VALLEY RANCH PKWY.

494

3 Cordovan Art School In addition to summer camps, the studio offers art classes for both children and adults as well as paint- your-own pottery classes, art workshops and parties. • Opened June 17 • 18455 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Ste. 130, Humble • www.cordovanartschool.com/atascocita 4 Wags to Whiskers of Texas Thrift Store This Porter-based nonprofit opened a new thrift store in Kingwood with 100% of the proceeds going toward the care and vetting of the organization’s rescue shelter animals. The thrift shop accepts donations during operating hours and houses a variety of items ranging from furniture to antiques and collectibles. • Opened June 27 • 1417 Northpark Drive, Kingwood • www.wagstowhiskerstx.com 5 Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers The physical therapy center treats patients with injuries, disorders and pain using state-of-the-art strength and cardio equipment. Franchise owner Bucky Folarin said the Humble location offers balance therapy as well as orthopedic, sports and neurological rehabilitation. • Opened July 8 • 3123 FM 1960 E., Ste. 3123A, Humble • www.fyzical.com/humble-tx 6 4Ever Young This medical spa offers a slate of aesthetic and wellness services such as hormone therapy, botox and hydrafacial. • Opened in April • 30130 Rock Creek Drive, Ste. 300, Kingwood • www.4everyoungantiaging.com/location/kingwood

LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK

FORD RD.

ROCK CREEK DR.

SORTERS MCCLELLAN RD.

RUSSELL PALMER RD.

Kingwood

TOWNSEN BLVD.

LAKE HOUSTON

UPPER LAKE DR.

FM 1960 BYPASS RD.

HOUSTON AVE.

1960

F I RST ST.

1960

W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

TIMBER FOREST DR.

Humble

WILL CLAYTON PKWY.

Atascocita

GREENS RD.

MADERA RUN PKWY.

MAP NOT TO SCALE

2 Jeremiah’s Italian Ice The business offers more than 40 flavors of Italian ice; soft-serve ice cream available in a cup, cake or waffle cone; and gelati, which layers a patron’s choice of Italian ice and soft-serve ice cream. • Opened July 4 • 4521 Kingwood Drive, Ste. 240, Kingwood • www.jeremiahsice.com

Now open

Coming soon

1 The Monk’s Indian Bistro The Indian fusion restaurant offers a menu of soups, kebabs, dosas, naan, fried rice, biryani and noodle dishes, in addition to entrees like chicken tikka masala and shrimp vindaloo. • Opened June 27 • 9626 FM 1960 Bypass Road W., Humble • www.monkshumble.com

7 Cowboy Surfer Themed around cowboys and surfers, this Houston- based bar plans to open its second location in Kingwood. The original location at 827 Frostwood Drive features a full bar serving beer, wine and signature cocktails; a kitchen serving Texas-style entrees; and regularly hosts live music and open mic nights.

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

• Opening this summer • 23842 Hwy. 59 N., Kingwood • www.cowboysurferbar.com

• 25653 Hwy. 59 N., Ste. 203, Kingwood • www.primeivhydration.com

In the news

12 Her Healthcare This medical practice first opened in 2004 and comprises a team of experienced OB/GYN physicians. The clinic hosted a 20th anniversary celebration on June 21. • 23802 Hwy. 59 N., Kingwood • www.myprivia.com/herhealthcare 13 Opera Leggera The musical theater company’s upcoming season will mark the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary, officials announced June 24. Based in Kingwood, Opera Leggera— or light opera—was founded in 2005 by professional opera singers Chris and Sasha Holloway. The organization produces original musical theater productions that span the styles of opera, operetta, pop, Broadway and American/international classic standards. • The Nathaniel Center, 804 Russell Palmer Road, Kingwood • www.operaleggera.com

8 New York Grand Pizza With an original location at 16430 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Ste. 800, Houston, the New York-inspired restaurant offers pizza, pasta, sandwiches, hot rolls, calzones and salads. • Opening this summer • 9635 N. Sam Houston Parkway, Ste. 400, Humble • www.nygrandpizza.com 9 Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse The full-service location will offer New York-style pizza, wings, calzones, sandwiches, wraps, salads and pasta, and also feature 72 taps of rotating craft beer. • Opening in late August or early September • 4331 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood • www.parryspizza.com/locations/kingwood 10 Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Atascocita Originally anticipated to open this summer, Kelsey- Seybold Clinic’s new location in Atascocita has been delayed by a year, officials with the health care provider confirmed via email June 12. The 50,000-square-foot clinic will have space for up to 24 providers offering both primary and specialty care for adults and children. The three-story clinic will also offer medical specialties and diagnostic services, including on-site imaging, laboratory services and a pharmacy. • Opening in summer 2025 • 17818 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Humble • www.kelsey-seybold.com

14 Swig The Utah-based beverage shop serves a variety of sodas, energy drinks and refreshers that can be customized with flavors, fruits and creams; hot and frozen chocolate; and snacks including cookies and salted pretzel bites. While a projected opening date has not yet been announced, construction on a new location in Atascocita was expected to begin April 4 and wrap up by June 7, according to a TDLR filing. • 17812 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Atascocita • www.swigdrinks.com The Good Feet Store Construction on the new 1,475-square-foot store in Valley Ranch Town Center is expected to begin Aug. 5 and wrap up by Nov. 25, according to a TDLR filing. Known as “America’s arch support experts,” Good Feet arch supports are available in more than 300 styles, flexibilities and sizes to meet the unique needs of every client, according to the company’s website. Every store offers free personalized fittings by an arch support specialist. A projected opening date had not been announced as of press time. • 21856 Market Place Drive, Ste. 800, New Caney • www.goodfeet.com

Worth the trip

Marble Slab Creamery & Great American Cookies

This joint storefront will offer small-batch ice cream with free mix-ins and hand-rolled waffle cones as well as fresh-baked cookies and custom cookie cakes. The business will also offer ice cream cakes, sundaes, milkshakes, smoothies, cookie sandwiches and brownies. • Opening in mid-July • 22118 Market Place Drive, New Caney • www.marbleslab.com; www.greatamericancookies.com Pat’s Donuts The doughnut shop will offer a variety of doughnuts, kolaches, breakfast croissant sandwiches, breakfast tacos and coffees. • Opening in mid-2025 • 23487 Hwy. 242, New Caney • www.myfavoritepatsdonuts.com

In the news

11 Prime IV Hydration & Wellness Construction on the new 1,602-square-foot location in Kingwood is expected to begin Sept. 2 and wrap up by Dec. 27, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. The business offers IV therapy treatments to help alleviate the symptoms of a variety of ailments, including migraines, fatigue and dehydration, among others. A projected opening date had not been announced as of press time.

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LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

Real estate

BY COLBY FARR & CARSON WEAVER

Home Edition

2024

Readers, welcome to your annual CI Home Edition! This guide features news ranging from key real estate trends and new developments unique to your neighborhood to an overview of the housing industry across Texas. All of the stories were written by our team of local journalists, and all of the advertisements are from nearby businesses who support our mission to provide free, useful news—show them your gratitude by supporting local businesses. Over the last few years, we have seen the real estate market ebb and flow, and it’s hard to predict what the future holds. But, what we do know is more people have moved into the Harris County area within that time and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. In this edition, we talk about the growing number of multifamily housing projects in the Lake Houston area. We also give an update on a $418 million settlement that will change the way homes are bought and sold. Whether you are a current homeowner or looking to put down long-term roots soon here in Harris County, I hope you find our annual home edition useful and informative.

What's inside

Property value growth slows in Harris County (Page 9)

Kinsey Crabtree General Manager kcrabtree@ communityimpact.com

Texas releases first statewide flood plan (Page 10)

June residential market data for Lake Houston area (Page 11)

Multiple Listing Service rules changing

Stay tuned

After the policy changes take effect, a final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for later in November. “Houston is going to be affected like everyone else because it’s a national settlement,” Mouton said. “We’re no different than any other state.”

A $418 million settlement with the National Association of Realtors in March may impact fees for buyers, sellers and real estate agents, starting in August. The settlement—brought on by class- action lawsuits alleging brokerages inflated buyer-seller commissions—will force the NAR to make policy changes to Multiple Listing Services, an online platform where real estate agents list homes. According to the settlement, sellers will pay smaller commissions and buyers will decide how much their agents are paid, among other changes. “When an agent searches for a home for their client, [the MLS tells] you what the listing agent is actually offering for compensation,” said Thomas Mouton, chair of the Houston Association of Realtors. “Now, that will not be displayed anywhere on the site.”

Updated MLS policies The changes outlined by the NAR settlement in March that go into effect in August include:

Compensation disclosures to sellers, and prospective sellers and buyers, are required. MLS participants can’t filter or restrict listings to clients based on the level of compensation offered to the agent. Listing agents can no longer make compensation offers to buyer agents on the MLS.

2024

March 15: Settlement agreement signed

April 24: Preliminary approval of settlement review granted by the court Aug. 17: Practice changes take effect; earliest day for lawsuit notifications to be issued to those impacted

MLS users must enter an agreement with buyers before home tours.

Nov. 26: Final approval hearing for the settlement

SOURCE: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Real estate

BY MELISSA ENAJE CONTRIBUTIONS BY HANNAH BROL

Property value growth slows

Harris County trends

Total single-family homes sold

Median price of homes sold

Months’ supply of homes

95,302

$338,000 $330,000

1.3

2022 2023

Jan. 2022 Jan. 2023 Jan. 2024

2.6

83,854

3.3

More Harris County homeowners saw drops or smaller increases in property values in 2023 compared to the past two years as officials with the Harris Central Appraisal District said increasing home inventories and fewer home sales have slowed growth. HCAD Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger said in a news release the Harris County housing market took a “breather this year” after several years in a row of rapid appreciation. Sales slowed in 2023, and prices rose slightly because of higher interest rates and mortgage rates, which Altinger said allowed home inventory to inch upward. “This year we are seeing a return to the usual increases and decreases in property values instead of the extraordinary growth of the past two years,” Altinger said. Residential properties are still in high demand and have gone up an average of about 2.5% in value countywide from 2022 to 2023, Altinger said. In the Lake Houston area, home values saw the largest increase in Kingwood, according to HCAD data.

SOURCES: HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Average local market values on Jan. 1

Home sales Jan. 1, 2023-Jan. 31, 2024

In Humble ISD

1 Kingwood Area (North of San Jacinto River)

$366,644.75

2023 2024

+5.17%

$386,315.56

932

2 Airport Tier Areas South of San Jacinto River, West of Woodland Hills

$373,244.26 $370,819.15

2023 2024

-0.78%

1,389

1960

3 Outside Airport Tiers South of San Jacinto River (Atascocita Area)

LAKE HOUSTON

2023 2024

$281,050.80 $284,893.97

+0.75%

679

SOURCE: HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Zooming in

What residents should know

What’s next

In addition to the slowdown in property value increases, one 2023 change in state law also lowered property tax rates for school districts. The changes came after Texas vot- ers approved Proposition 4 in the November 2023 election. Proposition 4 was placed on ballots fol- lowing the passage of Senate Bill 2, authored by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, during the 2023 Texas Legislature. The changes went into effect retroactively for 2023 tax bills, and Bettencourt’s office estimated the average Texan homeowner’s tax bill was lowered by $1,260 that year. Following the passage of Proposition 4: The state of Texas set aside $12.7B for school districts to allow them to lower tax rates by 10.7 cents per $100 of valuation. $5.6B went toward increasing the statewide homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000.

The deadline for homeowners to apply for property tax exemptions passed April 30. Meanwhile, the deadline to file a protest against a home value was May 15, or within 30 days of receiving a property value notice being mailed. However, county officials said property owners should take note of several other upcoming dates related to when tax rates are set and when bills will be mailed out.

Data by price range Harris County homes in the lower price ranges were more likely to see value decreases between 2022 and 2023. 57.5% decreased in value 28.8% increased in value 13.6% saw minimal change in value For homes valued between $200,000-$299,999: 34.1% decreased in value 58.1% increased in value 7.8% saw minimal change in value For homes valued between $450,000-$749,999: 52.7% decreased in value 37.4% increased in value 9.9% saw minimal change in value For homes valued between $300,000-$449,999:

August-October: Local jurisdictions adopt tax rates October/November: Tax bills are mailed Dec. 31: Last day to pay to use a deduction for the same year’s federal income tax SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY TAX-ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, HARRIS COUNTY VOTER REGISTRAR OFFICE/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

21.1% decreased in value 73.4% increased in value 5.5% saw minimal change in value For homes valued over $750,000:

SOURCE: HARRIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: SENATE BILL 2/COMMUNITY IMPACT

LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

Real estate

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas’ first statewide flood plan says 5 million people at risk

Over 5 million Texans live or work in areas vulnerable to flooding, according to a draft of the state’s first flood plan. State lawmakers tasked the Texas Water Devel- opment Board with creating the plan in 2019, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The 267-page draft, published in early May, recommends over $54.5 billion in funding from various sources to reduce flood risks. The board discussed the plan during a May 30 public hearing in Austin. Board members are expected to adopt a final flood plan in August and submit it to the Legislature by Sept. 1. The details The plan includes findings from 15 regional flood planning groups, which have been working since October 2020, and makes several recom- mendations for state and local flood policies. “Although flooding has certain benefits, like recharging groundwater and providing vital

nutrients to ecosystems and agricultural lands, it remains a significant threat to the health and safety of Texans,” the plan reads. “Each of the state’s 254 counties has experienced at least one federally declared flood disaster, proof that floods can affect all areas of Texas.” The plan noted roughly 70% of flood-related deaths occur on roadways, particularly during the night and at low-water crossings. The planning groups identified nearly 64,000 miles of roads in areas susceptible to flooding. The board asked the Texas Legislature to expand early warning systems for floods, create minimum building and infrastructure standards to reduce fatalities and property damage, improve low-water crossing safety, and enhance dam and levee safety programs. “We want to put out a state flood plan that does what it is tasked to do, and that is to save lives and save property,” board Chair Brooke Paup said.

Flood risks Around 1 in 6 Texans live or work in flood- prone areas, the Texas Water Development Board found. Over one-fourth of Texas’ land area is vulnerable to flooding.

5.22M people

1.66M buildings

63,900 miles of roads

1.29M homes

12.65M acres of agricultural land

6,258 hospitals, EMS departments, fire stations, police stations and schools

SOURCE: TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Residential market data

Number of homes sold

June 2023

June 2024

-25%

-10.26%

-50%

-14.63%

-37.3%

-17.02%

Fewer homes sold in June 2024 than June 2023 across all ZIP codes that make up Community Impact ’s Lake Houston coverage area.

77044

77338

77339

77345

77346

77396

99 TOLL

77339

77345

77346

Median home sales price

77338

LAKE HOUSTON

June

2023

2024

77386

$313,615

$325,839 $245,000 $325,000 $460,000 $345,000 $285,000

77044

$246,000 $290,000 $463,000 $330,000 $285,000

77338

77339

Homes sold by price point

77345

June 2024

77346

77396

$800,000+

$600,000-$799,999

Average days on market +113.79% +28.3%

$400,000-$599,999

+16.67%

+37.5%

+8.33%

-7.69%

184

$200,000-$399,999

<$199,999

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77044

77338

77339

77345

77346

77396

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LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

Real estate

Apartment, townhome options explode in Lake Houston area with new projects

Opened since June 2023 | Units: 703 Under construction | Units: 181+ Proposed | Units: 1,803 Multifamily developments

300

real estate research and planning firm Community Development Strategies. “At a very basic level, we just have to have housing for everybody that is coming here or … emerging here because they’ve been born,” Spillette said. According to MRI ApartmentData and previous Community Impact reporting, some projects that opened recently include: • Bluewater At Balmoral: a 92-unit rental townhome community that opened in April • Eleve: a 322-unit apartment complex that opened in February • The Residences at Kingwood: a 289-unit apartment complex that opened in February Monthly rent at three apartment complexes that opened in the Lake Houston area since June 2023 ranges from $1,430-$2,475, not including utility costs and other fees. According to MRI ApartmentData, the average rental rate in the Lake Houston area is about $1,362 per month as of May 31.

Lake Houston-area residents are seeing an expansion of rental options as 12 multifamily developments have either opened, are currently under construction or have been announced since June 2023. According to prior reporting and data analysts from MRI ApartmentData, three apartment complexes have opened in the Lake Houston area since February. Meanwhile, two projects are under construction and seven more have been proposed. Real estate experts said developers and investors began planning multifamily projects two or three years ago when interest rates were at record lows. Bruce McClenny, industry principal for MRI ApartmentData at MRI Real Estate Software, said because of this trend, he saw more apartment complexes open in 2023 and 2024 than he has in his entire career. The spike in multifamily housing can likely be attributed to factors such as regional population growth, job growth and nearby retail development, said Steven Spillette, president of

201

W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.

300

181

TBD

289

1960

162

340

GREENS RD.

322

LAKE HOUSTON

250

WOODLAND HILLS DR.

SOURCES: MRI APARTMENTDATA, MCNAIR INTERESTS, FEIN, MCCORD DEVELOPMENT, FIDELIS RESIDENTIAL, BRIARSTONE DEVELOPMENT, GREYSTAR, TBD DEVELOPMENT, HIGH STREET RESIDENTIAL/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Some context

Multifamily rental rates in Lake Houston area

Lake Houston/Kingwood Houston metro area

Patrick Jankowski, chief economist and senior vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership, said in a May update that Houston has shifted from a landlord-friendly market to a tenant-friendly market because: • Average multifamily occupancy is below 90%. • Rental rates have fallen over the last year. • Incentives such as free rent and security deposit waivers are prominent. The Lake Houston area’s average occupancy rate dropped from about 93% in June 2022 to 88.5% this May, according to MRI ApartmentData. With 19,000 apartment units under construc- tion in the Greater Houston area and another 33,000 planned for the region as of June 1, Jankowski said supply greatly exceeds demand for multifamily housing. “An industry rule of thumb holds that Houston absorbs one apartment unit for every six jobs created,” he said in the report. “At the current pace of construction, Houston will need to create roughly 114,000 jobs to absorb what’s currently under construction.” Roughly 80,700 non-farming jobs were created in

$1,300 $1,400 $1,500

$1,382

$1,200

$1,260

$1,100

$1,000

June

Jan.

May

2022

2023

2024

SOURCE: MRI APARTMENTDATA/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Multifamily occupancy rates in Lake Houston area

the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area from April 2023 to April 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As more new multifamily housing options are built, this may push older apartments to decrease rent, offer more specials or become subsidized to remain competitive, said Ty Jacobsen, a senior market and Geographic Information System analyst for CDS.

100%

88.5%

90%

87.5%

80%

70%

June

Jan.

May

2022

2023

2024

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY WESLEY GARDNER CONTRIBUTIONS BY JOVANNA AGUILAR, CASSANDRA JENKINS, EMILY LINCKE & DANICA LLOYD

Managing the impact

What to expect

Monthly rent vs. monthly mortgage rates as of May 2024

John McMahon—vice president of High Street Residential, developer of The Residences at King- wood West, which opened in March—said the Lake Houston area is an attractive area for developers. “The residents represent a wide array of people that work in all different types of industries across Houston, whether that’s people near the Port of Houston, people downtown in professional services, people that go west for oil and gas jobs,” he said. Additionally, McMahon noted the influx of available apartment units in the area has led to more competitive price points for renters. “We’ve seen a lot of supply in that area,” he said. “If anything, the competition has just made the prices between all the communities competitive.” McMahon said The Residences at Kingwood West also offers four weeks free on all new leases as an added incentive for prospective tenants. The Houston Association of Realtors reported only 40% of Greater Houston-area households could afford a median-priced single-family home in the

Because interest rates have roughly doubled since early 2022, the cost of financing new apartment projects is much less sustainable for developers today, McClenny said. “[Higher interest rates] causes a lot of problems for a lot of companies to have to ante up more capital to cover that,” he said. For projects to reach completion recently, developers and investors must have been planning the projects and purchasing land at least two to three years ago, Spillette said. However, rising interest rates have caused the market to slow. “We are having a pause because of what’s happened to interest rates, and developers have [had] … a lot more difficulty getting financing in the last year to start new projects,” he said.

Median rent

Median mortgage

Humble Atascocita Houston metro

Harris County

SOURCE: HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

first quarter of this year. Median monthly mortgage payments in the first quarter were $2,060 in Humble and $2,560 in Atascocita, according to HAR—about 3.5% and 19.6% higher than the median base apartment rents for those areas, respectively.

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LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

Government

BY MELISSA ENAJE & JESSICA SHORTEN

Humble city officials discuss potential for future bond issue

Harris County revives nonviolent 911 program Harris County commissioners voted 4-1 on June 4, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ram- sey dissenting on all three votes, to continue and expand a countywide program that aims to use hospital-based interventions for nonemergency 911 calls instead of law enforcement. The details The Holistic Assistance Response Team pro- gram, referred to as HART, was created in March 2022 to improve community health and safety by providing responses to residents experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues, or none- mergency health or social welfare concerns. HART dispatches 911 calls to interdisciplinary, unarmed first responder teams trained in behav- ioral health and on-scene medical assistance. The program was paused in May after commis- sioners failed to reach an agreement on whether

$122M in upgrades planned for jails Harris County commissioners approved on June 4 an estimated $122 million to address some of the most immediate needs through- out various Harris County jail facilities. Two county-appointed jail committees agree with the need to begin working on items expeditiously, including maintenance items related to fire safety, plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The impact Examples of high-cost priority items include: • More than $79 million for additional floors, renovations and upgrades to the facility at 701 N. San Jacinto St., Houston • More than $5 million for a fire sprinkler system at 1200 Baker St., Houston

HART engages underserved residents by linking them to needed services. People served by HART since 2022

Humble City Council held a special meeting June 25 to discuss options for a potential bond issue as city officials anticipate a potential $4 million budget shortfall in the future. What residents should know Council members heard from bond counsel regarding the city’s financial standing and what a potential bond issue could look like. The city’s bond counsel includes Ben Rosen- berg, managing director at U.S. Capital Advisors, and Clay Holland and Justin Hicks, partner and associate at Hunton Andrews Kurth, respectively. Rosenberg said the city would be able to incur a $0.01 tax increase on the debt service portion of the city’s property tax rate without causing “significant” increase to the burden on residents. City Manager Jason Stuebe said the amount would translate to a roughly $115 increase to property tax bills on the average Humble home and allow the city to obtain roughly $30 million

in bond funding, which could go toward capital improvement projects. Why now? The last bond issue called by the city was used to construct the Humble Civic Center in 1995. According to Stuebe, the removal of red light cameras will impact the future revenue to the city for capital improvement projects. House Bill 1631 in 2019 prohibited local entities from the use of red light cameras; but allowed for cities with existing contracts to continue collections until the contract expired. “[Red light cameras] was a major money maker, and it did fund a significant portion of law enforce- ment needs,” Stuebe said. “We are going to have a $4 million hole to fill in the future.” Stuebe said the city is still utilizing leftover funds from red light camera enforcement oper- ations, but the funds will likely no longer be an option in two to three years.

Mental health/substance use

Red light camera collections Red light camera collections are allowed until the city’s contract expires and the end of 2024.

172

Housing/shelter

118

$6M

Food assistance

$4M

Other

$2M

SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH/COMMUNITY IMPACT

2018

2019 2020

2022 2021

to pay Disaster Emergency Medical Assistance Consulting and Management, the vendor oversee- ing it. At the June meeting, commissioners also voted 4-1 to pay the vendor’s $200,000 invoice and improve the contract’s language to avoid further discrepancies. They also voted 4-1 on a seven-part plan to create an internal county system to oversee the HART program instead of contracting with an outside vendor.

SOURCE: CITY OF HUMBLE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

“We need to start thinking about this now before we hit a deadline,” Stuebe said. What’s next? Stuebe said the city is not looking to call a bond election this year, but is looking within the next year to potentially get citizen input.

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Education

BY WESLEY GARDNER

Humble ISD trustees approve 2% on-average raises for staff

Balancing budgets The FY 2024-25 budget marks the second straight year Humble ISD’s expenditures have surpassed revenue.

Humble ISD trustees approved what will effec- tively equate to a 2% on-average raise for staff. The overview The staff raises were included in the roughly $651 million budget for fiscal year 2024-25 adopted during the board’s June 11 meeting. HISD Chief Financial Officer Billy Beattie said the compensation package includes 1% on-average raises and a one-time stipend worth 1% of salaries for all employees. He added the package will effectively raise a starting teacher’s salary in the district from $63,700 in FY 2023-24 to $64,987 in FY 2024-25. Additionally, Beattie said officials are recom- mending no increases to health insurance pre- miums offered through the district’s self-funded insurance program. A closer look According to the FY 2024-25 budget, HISD will

take in roughly $636 million in revenue while spending around $651 million, resulting in an approximately $15 million budget shortfall. However, Beattie said the projected shortfall is a result of plans to spend roughly $36.2 million on previously planned food services initiatives. Also of note Several adjustments were also made to the district’s compensation plan, including: • Raising the pay for bus aides, child nutrition specialists and custodians to $12.63 per hour • Raising the pay for special education parapro- fessionals to $15 per hour • Raising the pay for bus drivers to $20 per hour What’s next Trustees will consider formally adopting a tax rate of $1.1055 per $100 valuation for FY 2024-25 in September.

Revenue

Expenses

$539.7M $525.83M $550.65M $549.58M

+$13.87M

FY 2020-21

+$1.07M

FY 2021-22

$589.7M $589.6M

+$100K

FY 2022-23

$626.54M $633.52M $636.05M $650.93M

-$6.98M

FY 2023-24

-$14.88M

FY 2024-25

SOURCE: HUMBLE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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Transportation

BY HANNAH BROL

Madera Run Parkway widening project breaks ground in Atascocita

What residents should know

Ocials noted nearby sidewalks will remain open during construction, and travelers should experience very little disruption to their daily commutes throughout the duration of the project. “We’re excited to partner with [Harris County] MUD 504 to bring this project into construction for improved transportation safety and increased capacity along this well-traveled stretch of roadway.” TOM RAMSEY, HARRIS

a heavily-utilized roadway as it runs through master-planned communities Balmoral and The Groves, connecting residents to various amenities and schools including West Lake Middle School and Groves Elementary School.

Work has begun on the Madera Run Parkway widening project in Atascocita, Harris County Precinct 3 ocials announced in a June 6 news release. The Madera Run Parkway widening project is a joint venture between Harris County Precinct 3 and Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 504. The $940,000 project will widen Madera Run Parkway from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane boulevard separated by a green median between Radura Road and Hickory Arroyo Drive. Per the release, the project contractor is Precise Services Inc., and construction is expected to wrap up by the third quarter of 2024. According to the release, the project area is

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From the cover

BY WESLEY GARDNER & EMILY LINCKE CONTRIBUTIONS BY JOVANNA AGUILAR, VANESSA HOLT, JESSICA SHORTEN, HALEY VELASCO & AUBREY VOGEL

for CenterPoint Energy. Internet and phone service was interrupted by the storm as well. Data provided by Com- cast showed around 420,000 Xfinity and Comcast business customers’ service had been temporarily interrupted by Beryl’s impact on southeast Texas as of July 8. Officials from AT&T said July 8 that major network facilities were online, with some running on backup power; however, customers in affected areas were experiencing service interruptions due to storm damage and commercial power outages. What’s next Multiple storms have battered the Houston area since April, leaving millions of customers without power for days. Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas,

CONTINUED FROM 1

Beryl by the numbers 8 people in Texas have died

Humble Fire Department Chief David Langenberg said the city was hit pretty evenly throughout, but he noted the areas with heavier tree density were hit harder than others. Over the course of July 8-9, Langen- berg said the fire department fielded 211 calls related to Hurricane Beryl. What happened? Hurricane Beryl initially formed as a tropical depression over the Atlantic Ocean on June 28 before strengthening into the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season the fol- lowing day, according to the National Weather Service. The hurricane traveled through the Gulf of Mexico before turning northeast and making landfall for the third time July 8 as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda. In Harris County, the highest wind speeds

10 power transmission lines were downed 2.2M CenterPoint customers lost power

47 water rescues were conducted in Harris County 4,400 homes were damaged in Harris County

200 trees were downed in Harris County $28B-$32B is the preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Beryl in the U.S.

Historical peak wind gusts Humble area Lake Houston area

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

said state agencies will work with local utility companies to strengthen infrastructure against future disasters. “I look at every one of these storms as a chance for us to review what we’ve done and try to get better at our preparation,

41 mph

“We know we have important work ahead for our customers who depend on us, especially during the hot summer months.”

Hurricane Beryl (July 8)

69 mph

83 mph

were recorded near the University of Houston

Derecho (May 16-17, 2024)

62 mph

Isolated thunderstorm (June 2023)

with gusts reaching as high as 89 mph on July 8, according to the NWS. According to data provided by The Citizen Weather Observer Program—a public-private partnership that aggregates storm data—wind speeds reached as high as 41 mph in Humble. Additionally, Beryl dropped as much as 8.4 inches of rain in Humble, around 4.4 inches in Kingwood and as much as 14.9 inches in some areas in Harris County, per NWS data. The impact At least eight people have died in Texas as a result of Hurricane Beryl, including seven in the Greater Houston area, as of July 9, local emer- gency management and state officials said. “Our hearts grieve for all the Texans impacted by Hurricane Beryl, including our fellow Texans who tragically lost their lives or were injured,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement July 9. In a July 9 news conference, Lt. Gov. Dan Pat- rick said more than 2.2 million residents in the Greater Houston area were still without power after the storm toppled 10 power transmission lines in addition to a bevy of trees and power distribution lines throughout the area. “While we tracked the projected path, inten- sity and timing for Hurricane Beryl closely for many days, this storm proved the unpredictabil- ity of hurricanes as it delivered a powerful blow across our service territory and impacted a lot of lives,” said Lynnae Wilson, senior vice president

LYNNAE WILSON, CENTERPOINT ENERGY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

91 mph

Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) Hurricane Ike (September 2008)

41 mph

our response,” he said. Tom Overbye, who serves as the director of Texas A&M University’s Smart Grid Center, said there will be an investigation with the PUC to figure out what went wrong. “When we build distribution circuits, there’s standards. One of the standards is the distribu- tion line should withstand 110 mph wind when I don’t think Beryl had wind at that speed. That surely will be an issue that the investigations will come look and say ‘Why did so many people lose electricity?’” he said. On July 8, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Texas that will provide federal assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, according to a July 9 news release from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The emergency declaration will grant 75% reimbursement for debris cleanup for affected counties, TDEM Chief Nim Kidd said during a July 9 news conference. “Our community has been battered over the past few months, and this [declaration] is a big ray of hope for us,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a July 9 post on Facebook. Residents who sustained damage from the storm can report damage through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool, by visiting https://damage.tdem.texas.gov.

82 mph

Historical two-day rainfall averages

Humble area

Harris County

8.6 in.

Hurricane Beryl (July 8)

12 in. 5.4 in. 12.7 in.

May flooding event (May 1-2, 2024)

22.4 in.

Hurricane Harvey (August 2017)

35.2 in.

11.4 in.

Hurricane Ike (September 2008)

15.5 in.

Historical peak power outages in the Greater Houston area Hurricane Beryl (July 8)

2.2M

Derecho (May 16-17, 2024) Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) Hurricane Ike (September 2008)

930,000

Outages during Harvey totaled 1M

270,000

2.2M

SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY, CITY OF HOUSTON, CENTERPOINT ENERGY, ACCUWEATHER, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT

LAKE HOUSTON - HUMBLE - KINGWOOD EDITION

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